Hawaii on a Budget

Transportation. Hotel included.

We went to Hawaii and Oahu and stayed for two and a half weeks for less than $2,300. Hawaii has a reputation for being very expensive, some of which is true and some of which is not true. Food at resorts was very expensive (we stayed far away!) and grocery store items were much more than on the mainland. Eating at local restaurants and food trucks seemed more than reasonable to us—we found that unless we were super hungry that a “regular” plate lunch would feed the two of us pretty comfortably. ($7-$11).

Our vacation lasted 18 days and exclusive of airfare (a set cost regardless of how long you’re on the islands), we spent $61/day for the two of us. Not too shabby! As with any vacation, your emphasis might be in other areas. Although we had places to stay on Oahu, it did not appear that camping (particularly on the North Shore) would be difficult with standard stealth camping precautions. Here’s our budget breakdown:

Airfare:
Two round-trip tickets from Phoenix to Honolulu- $861
Two round-trip tickets from Honolulu to Hilo- $338